Abstract:

Surgical tooth extraction with soft tissue flap reflection and bone removal can lead to some postoperative sequelae, such as pain, swelling, and trismus, as well as complications such as surgical site infection (SSI) and alveolar osteitis. A smooth postoperative period can be ensured by proper planning, appropriate preoperative preparation, and precise surgical technique. For this purpose, various drugs have been used, including antibiotics (ABs), corticosteroids (CSs), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and enzyme products. This literature review aims to discuss the most common postoperative sequelae after the removal of impacted wisdom teeth and evaluate the methods for their management. An advanced search using the selected keywords was conducted in 4 databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) in March 2025. The study’s results demonstrated that the most commonly used measures for reducing post-surgical complications is conservative therapy with antibiotics, antiseptics, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, autologous platelet concentrates, etc. The postoperative management depends on the severity of the expected complications (based on the surgical trauma, duration, and the patient-related outcomes) and the benefit-risk ratio.

Keywords: impacted wisdom tooth, postoperative sequelae, postoperative complications, management